2021 Hacking and Riding

Played with Sonny in the big rd pen and the new one before or got too hot.
It got ugh quite hot today.
Tomorrow will be hot again.
Temps will go back to more normal Saturday.
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I was dragging the arena and got quite a scare.

Its a small chain link gate i put 3 cement
Blocks on.
Ive used it before no problems.

All of a sudden it flipped up and got wedged under yhe the back of the ATV fender and tire and put a hole right thru the fender.
Thank God it only did cosmetic damage .

I was going slow.

My husband changed up the chain a little and Stayed to watch to be sure it would track in the turns and it seemed
To stay behind the ATV Good .
I was ready to find a stopping point though cause I was really drained.

The only difference was I had to use the much more powerful bigger ATV.
And it kind if takes off a bit quicker.
The throttle is VERY VERY SENSITIVE
I really like the smaller one
We bought from the people we bought the house from.
It needed a new battery so I ended up using the bigger one
 
Ive had two days sitting on a bike pedaling. My word i hurt. Youd have thought id get use to it by now. Chunky has been an absolute saint though, he doesnt bat an eyelid. Weve done about 4 miles both days. Billy was soaking wet when we got back on Saturday. We left him stood in the yard with hay nets and horslyx but he obviously got upset at not going out.
One little issue yesterday with minion getting horses in. I was sorting there next grazing area and asked her to take them up. So we got headcollars on and off she went. Part way up the bank i suddenly saw her running out the way and two loose horses. She grabs hold of chunky who only went a few paces but billy went whoopi and started running up the steep bank. Im yelling my head off for her to let go of chunky and go get hold of Billy. No she carries on walking chunky up the field, leaving Billy charging around. I had to leave the fencing and run up from the bottom of the field. I was running up the field saying let go of Chunky and go get hold of Billy. When she was near to the gate entrance she yelled back at me she was going to shut the gate. So she got to the gate entrance and then stood there with chunky, for like 20 seconds, didnt actually shut the gate and watched billy galloping towards them. I was then panicking that he would run past onto the drive. So im shouting if your going to shut the gate, shut the f****** gate. She did but made no attempt to then grab billy. She just stood looking at them. Fortunately Billy then stayed with chunky snorting. I was just so intent to get hold of billy. All the work over the last 5 weeks trying to restrict his grazing so he cant run round and aggravate his injury and she lets him continue to charge round.
I told my mum who said i was wrong to have a go at her. My mum said sounds like she was frightened of getting near Billy. Maybe she was right but i think she also thinks its fun to watch the horse charging round. She doesnt realise the implications for a horse charging round a field who is already lame. Maybe its an experience thing but in my mind i would automatically think retrieve the galloping horse who has a long term injury first. Leave the horse who woul probably just put his head down on the grass.

Oh well whats done is done. I did still tack him up and took him for a very short walk out and back down my road. He was definitely happy to be out. Was actually really chilled despite his antics 10 minutes before. He had sweated up by the time we got back from exercising chunky again although not quite as bad as Saturday.
Farrier was due this thursday for chunky but hes got his days muddled and is actually coming out today instead so im going to ask him to look at him trotting up. If he thinks hes worse than the last time we trotted him up (which i think was 6 months ago. Whether he will remember how lame he was back then i dont know.) My personal view is that he is lamer.
 
Rode in high wind. I was scared but the mare was completely untroubled.
However, we did have one lovely milestone. She cantered for me just 6 paces.

It has been one of my quirks that I like the horses I hack to canter 6 strides for me on request. Current mare is used to long canters at her usual places. But ground was so wet yesterday and long canters impossible so I seized the opportunity. Very happy about that.

My breeches are covered in mud all the way up the leg as if I had fallen off. Is this normal out hacking in winter?
 
I made 2 major mistakes today. 1st, I gave Hogan a few days off his supplement that I thought was making him silly, then gave him a dose yesterday, to begin a new regime of once, every other day. 2nd, it was VERY blowy, and threatening rain. We got out no problem, rode through the trees, then trotted towards the open - all hell let loose. The wind hit us like a freight train, and the heavens opened - it didn't rain, it hammered down. I obviously shouldn't have restarted the supplement, because he went doo-lally. Rearing, bucking, threatening to bolt. We jogged about half a mile, then didn't go the way he wanted, and off he goes again. I waited for calm, got off and led, then got on again and retraced our steps so he had to do as asked. Jogged all the way home, with 2 very bucky, head- tossy trots. Little git then got his bucket and was thrown unceremoniously into the field.🤬
 
I was very lucky with the weather this week. On Friday Harvey and I showed our new livery one of the short hacks. Saturday was a nice solo hack. On Sunday there was a nice grid to lay with in the school. Because there are so many ways through it the horses can't guess where to go and have to wait to be told. Harvey really enjoys his grids. Monday was a rainy day and I finally got a chance to try out my full chaps. Its was only drizzly but they seem to do the job and importantly they are comfortable.

The grid :)
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Hacking
12 miles
4 hours

Schooling
30 minutes

Totals
Schooling
23 hours 10

Hacking
379 miles
116 hours 45
 
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The wind hit us like a freight train, and the heavens opened
Absolutely. I ride a sort of rectangle of bridle track. So we were hit heading into the wind as we started and again as we neared home. BUT because she is a shared horse, ridden by other people and known to nap, the agreement is that I must not allow her to turn back. Unless I consider it a risk to our safety, I must push her on round the whole circuit. So I duly did.
I wondered whether it is easier for a horse to head into a storm than to have it hit them side on? Maisie was almost blown sideways in trot on the day of the London hurricane.
I guess after 3 years I am as besotted by Ella as I was by Maisie. And trotting into the wind seemed to please her as it kept the flies off. And she flung her head up and shook it a bit to keep her forelock out of her eyes.
 
Absolutely. I ride a sort of rectangle of bridle track. So we were hit heading into the wind as we started and again as we neared home. BUT because she is a shared horse, ridden by other people and known to nap, the agreement is that I must not allow her to turn back. Unless I consider it a risk to our safety, I must push her on round the whole circuit. So I duly did.
I wondered whether it is easier for a horse to head into a storm than to have it hit them side on? Maisie was almost blown sideways in trot on the day of the London hurricane.
I guess after 3 years I am as besotted by Ella as I was by Maisie. And trotting into the wind seemed to please her as it kept the flies off. And she flung her head up and shook it a bit to keep her forelock out of her eyes.
She sounds like a complete gem.
 
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